In the Washington Post, John Pomfret looks at how China’s soft power campaign is impacting the U.S. Congress:
Although many Americans still view China with deep suspicion because of its communist system and human rights record, the results of Beijing’s image-and-influence campaign are clear. Members of Congress “are starting to understand that the Chinese are not communist but that the Chinese are Chinese,” said Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.). China is Oregon’s biggest export market after Canada.
“China is an overarching backdrop to almost everything that I am involved with,” said the seven-term congressman, adding that on matters as diverse as the U.S. economy, climate change and energy policy, “China is something that no one can ignore.”
For years, as China steadily rose to global economic and political heights, it all but ignored the U.S. Congress, with outreach to American lawmakers left to friends in the business community. But now China has launched a multimillion-dollar lobbying effort so effective that it is challenging the heralded efforts of nemesis Taiwan.
A decade ago, U.S. politicians of all stripes routinely subjected China to attacks. Now acts of benevolence are more likely — such as a resolution commemorating the 2,560th birthday of Chinese philosopher Confucius, which the House overwhelmingly approved in October.
